James h



' (No Model.)` y 2 Sheets-sheen v1.

J-.HSAGEILV SADDLE FOR VBLOGIPEDES.

Patented Dec.'l26, 1893.

lV/TNESSES INVQUUR,

ATTORNEY.

em. Wmcrdwl- (No Model.) 2 sheets- Shaug- 2.

J. H. SAGER.

SADDLE POR VELOGIPEDES. No. 511,363. Patented Dec. 26, 1893.

JAMES H. SAGER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE RICH &

PATENT OFFICE.

SAGER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SADDLE FOR VELOCIPEDES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 511,363, dated December26, 1898.

Application filed December 14, 1892. Serial No, 4551199 (N0 model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, .I AMES H. SAGER, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and Stateof NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Saddlesfor Velocipedes and Similar Vehicles, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,inwhich- Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of one form of mysaddle. Fig. 2 is a perspective view thereof, and Fig. 3 is alongitudinal sectional View of another form of the same saddle.

My invention consists in the improvements in saddles for velocipedes andsimilar vehicles hereinafter described and claimed, and the objectthereof is to provide a strong and elastic saddle in which the saddleleather is held taut, while the weight of the rider is supported bysprings connected to the saddle and acting independently of the means bywhich the leather is held taut.

Referring to the drawings, A is the saddle leather.

Bis the cantle supporting bar, which is fastened to the saddle leatherby rivets, as usual.

C is the pommel hook attached to the saddle leather by rivets, as usual.

D is a slotted block or eye, which is preferably of the curved formshown in the drawings; 'the solid end of this eye is perforated for thepassage of a bolt d. On the upper and lower sides of the solid part ofthe eye, are laid the ends of two springs E E. The ends of the springsare perforated, and the bolt passes through these perforationsandthrough the eye D. By tightening the nut on the bolt, the ends of thesprings and the eye are rmly fastened together.

The spring E, which may be called also the stretching bar, is fastenedon the upper side of the solid part of the eye D and extends backwardunder the saddle leather to and through a horizontal perforation througha lug attached to the cantle supporting bar B. The stretching bar E isrecurved as at e, so that it passes backward through said perforation inthe lug b and thence passes forward from the cantle end of the saddle,directly under the upper part of the stretching bar E to form the springE2. The curved end e is not necessary, but is more convenient on accountof the roundness of the end, which prevents clothing from catching onthe spring, and also because it forms a loop, giving a means forattaching a tool bag to the saddle. Around the lug b and between the twoparts of the spring E, is a collar b. A set screw b2 presses on thelower portion of the spring E, which presses against the collar b whichpresses the upper portion of the spring E against the upper side of theperforation in the lug b and fastens the parts rigidly together.

The spring E is fastened on the under side of the solid part of the eyeD. This spring extends directly backward from the pommel end of thesaddle and under the part of the spring E2. A clip F of any suitableform serves to fasten the springs E and E2 to the saddle post of avelocipede. The spring E2 extends directly forward from the lug bthrough and in front of the clip F and lies upon the spring E. Thespring E extends back of the clip and under the spring E2. A collar efastens the rear end of the spring E to the spring E2. I prefer that thesprings E and E2 should be bent on a curvature of smaller radius thanthat of the general curvature of the spring E, in order to give greaterstiffness to the combination, than if the springs E and E2 were parallelwith the spring E.

The springs E E2 extend without recurving to the clip F from theirpoints of attachment respectively at the eye D and the lug b.

The perforated lug b, collar b and the set screw b2 constitute a clampattached to the cantle supporting bar.

Fig. 3 shows another form of the same saddle hereinbefore described, inwhich they stretching bar is bent upon itself at e, passes through theperforation in the lug B and is cut o at that point. The partcorresponding to E2 is a separate spring E2, which 'is fastened in theperforation in the lug b, between the collar b and the lower curved partof the spring E. In vother respects, the two forms are identical. Thelatter device, however, renders it easier to replace the spring E2 -ifit should break. The stretching bar may be IOO separated from the partor spring E2 by cutting off the curved end c on the line of Fig. 1.

The saddle leather A may be stretched and held taut by unfastening theset screw b2 and pulling the lug?) backward upon the springs, and, afterthe leather has been properly stretched, tightening the set screw b2.The curvature of the parts E or E2 andthe parts E and E3 makes itpossible to adjust the tilt of the saddle in the clamp F.

My device constitutes a compound spring saddle, in which the parts E andE2 or E and E3 act against the part E on the truss principle. The part Eforms a constant longitudinal tension support to the saddle leather Aand prevents sagging of the saddle leather, and substantially excludesthe hammock principle from my device by reason of the limited springaction of the part E. The lower springs E E2 or E E3 may be increased ordecreased in stiffness, in proportion to the increase or decrease of theradius of their combined curvatures. The two overlapping springs E E2together form a half elliptical spring whose curvature is away from thespring or part E; the ends of the springs E E2 are not curved, but arelongitudinal at the ends of the saddle and make acute angles with thebar E at the points of attachment thereto. The straightening of the halfelliptic spring, thus formed, by pressure upon the saddle leather causesa longitudinal thrust at the attachments with the eye D and the clamp b.The stretching bar E, however, prevents any change of tension of thesaddle leather by the straightening of the springs E E2 as it isfastened to the saddle leather by the eye D and the clamp b. In thecombination of parts the bar E is a tension member and the springs E E2are thrust members and together form a truss support for the saddleleather. The thrust members E E2 of this combination, being curved andof spring material, permit a spring action in the thrust members of thistruss support.

It will be seen that, in forward action ofthe saddle, the pommel end issupported by a single spring E only, but that in backward action of thesaddle, the cantle end is supported by the spring E2 or E3 and by thatportion of the spring E which extends backward from the clip F, so thatthe saddle is supported by a light spring for forward action and bystrong springs for backward action.

What I claim isl. In a saddle for velocipedes, the combination of asaddle leather, an elastic stretching bar rigidly connected to thepommel end thereof and to the cantle end. thereof, and otherwiseunattached between its ends and overlapping springs disposed under saidstretching bar and rigidly connected respectively to said cantle andpommel ends at acute angles thereto, and a suitable clip whereby saidtwo springs are fastened one under the other to a velocipede,saidoverlapping springs with said stretching bar composing a spring supportfor said saddle, substantially as described.

2. In a saddle for velocipedes, the combination of a saddle leather, anelastic stretching bar rigidly connected to the pommel and cantle endsthereof, and otherwise unattached between its endsa spring disposedunder said bar and rigidly connected at an acute angle to the rear endthereof and extending forward from the point of connection, a springdisposed undersaid bar at an acute angle thereto and rigidly connectedto the forward end thereof and extending backward therefrom and undersaid iirst spring and a suitable clip whereby said two springs arefastened together and to the saddle support of a velocipede,substantially as described.

3. In a saddle for velocipedes, the combination, with a saddle leatherprovided with a pommel hook and a cantle bar having a clamp attachedthereto and an eye adapted to engage said pommel hook, of an elasticstretching bar rigidly attached to said eye and extending to and throughsaid clamp, and otherwise unattached between its ends a pair of curvedsprings arranged under said stretching bar at acute angles thereto, onerigidly attached to said eye and extending backward therefrom and theother rigidly fixed in said clamp and extending forward therefrom andoverlapping said rst spring and a clip attached to said two springs andto the saddle support of a velocipede, substantially as described.

4. In a saddle for velocipedes, the combination of a saddle leather, anelastic stretching bar rigidly connected to the pommel end thereof andto the cantle end thereof, and otherwise unattached between its ends aclip, springs disposed under said stretching bar and rigidly connectedrespectively to said cantle and pommel ends and extending withoutrecurving directly from such points of attachment to the clip, wherebysaid springs are fastened together and to a velocipede and with saidstretching bar compose a spring support for said saddle, substantiallyas described.

5. ln a saddle for velocipedes, the combination of a saddle leather, anelastic stretching bar rigidly connected to the pommel end thereof andto the cantle end thereof, and otherwise unattached between its ends aclip, and springs disposed under said stretching bar and rigidlyconnected respectively to said cantle and pommel ends and extendingdirectly therefrom to a suitable clip whereby said springs are fastenedtogether and to a velocipede and with said stretching bar compose aspring support for said saddle, substantially as described.

6. In a velocipede saddle, a pommel, a cantle and a iiexible seatattached at opposite ends to the same, in combination with a downwardlycurving, semi-elliptical spring rigidly attached at its opposite ends tosaid pommel IIO IIS

and cantle respectively, and attached at its and cantle being less thanthe length of said middle and lower portion to the frame work springbetween said pommel and cantle, subio of the velocipede, and an elasticstretching stantiztlly as set forth.

ber oeated between said seat and said spring, f,

said bar being rigidly attached at its opposite JAMES H' SAJER- ends tosaid pommel and cantle respectively, Witnesses:

and otherwise unattached between its ends, QUENTIN W. BOOTH,

the length of said bar between the pommel ASA W.` RUSSELL.

